Snow

Seeing people's statuses on Facebook telling me that they getting little snow...or that they are about to get snow makes me just fume with jealousy. I have been living in the Arab world for the past 4 years and haven't seen real snow (a little in Amman but it doesn't really count) in years. This has lead me to make a decision, these 2 years in Yemen will be my last in working in the Arab world.

It isn't just the lack of snow that has led to me to this decision. There are various things that have made me evaluate my time living and working in the Arab world and deciding that it is time to leave.

Professionally, I haven't really felt fulfilled, the work I am currently doing in Yemen is the first time since I finished studying and came back to my region that I felt my career to be on the right path. Prior to this I always felt that I was just doing jobs, not really building a career. I know that the work I did before has led to this opportunity and I can't downplay how important it was. But my greatest fear now is to become by default specialised in the Arab world. I am studying French and hoping that adding a third language to my skills will open new doors to work in regions beyond this one. I have to give credit to my past jobs, FH and FFF and even to that few weeks I have been in Yemen working as a UNV, for they helped me decide on what I want to specialise in; Gender and Access to Justice. I will work for the next 2 years to get more exposure in this topic, get trained on this topic, reading about it and working in field on it.

Personally, I haven't really felt fulfilled, I have made great friends by being back home, living in Bahrain and hopefully here in Yemen. But I haven't found the man who I want to spend my life with-ha not even the man who I want to spend a month with. I think its because I am not a typical Arab woman, which leads to Arab men not understanding me or finding me too overbearing, too different. But its not only about that, I don't mind being single-couldn't have made the split second decision to come to Yemen if I had someone else to think about-its also the fact that I don't feel accepted in my home region. People always speak to me in English when I walk into supermarkets or on the street...I am tired of replying in Arabic and getting raised eyebrows in response, "Ah...you are an Arab?!" I am tired of lying about certain things about my personality, my religious convictions, and my political leanings. I want to live in a place where I don't get judged, or if I am being judged then it is politically incorrect for people to vocalise it.

Meeting people while I was at the PO workshop and socially in the past few days, I realise what I have been missing out on. People have lived and travelled all over the world, working in different countries dealing with conflicting cultures leading to them being more well rounded...not only that but just giving them a chance to travel and see the world. I want that.

So after these two years, I hope I will have gained the kind of exposure and experience that can carry me beyond the borders of the Arab World.

Good Day and Good Luck

There is a "U" in Volunteer!

It will be a month since I last wrote...it has been hectic I have travelled to 5 countries and met people from all corners of the world. I had my beliefs challenged, and I was inspired...this is the first part of what I have been through these past few weeks.

UN Campus, Bonn Germany
Thanks to Steisianasari Mileiva

I went on a UNVolunteers Programme Officers training in Bonn, Germany. I had 10 days of 8-18:00, being taught all that needs to be taught about being a PO for the UNV. The best parts for me was meeting my fellow UNV POs, they were from all over the world working all over the world (if that makes sense). There were French, Canadian, Italian, Moldavian, Japanese, Filipino working in Haiti, Jordan/Swaziland, Laos, Indonesia, Philippines/Samoa, and Thailand (respectively) and these are just to name the few...there were people I loved and people that I didn't like. But it was just amazing to feel that I was part of this community of people, who know what I am going through, what it feels like to be in this schizophrenic assignment that and to know the pleasure of being a volunteer.


I got to meet the people in Headquarters, the people that sometimes feel so distant yet are our backup-are back bone...and us out there on the front lines, dealing with the volunteers, with other UN agencies...what a team. I meant my Portfolio Manager-and we found a language to speak that we both understood, that made communication that is going to be vital between us easier.


But the highlight for me was falling in love with Volunteerism. I have volunteered before, I chose to be part of the UNVs for a reason, but I think being part of the UN system sometimes makes you forget what a great thing being a volunteer is. At this time in my career I felt that the way that I could truly contribute to Development in general and more specifically for the development of the region that is my home, was for me to use the skills I have honed throughout these years as a volunteer.


Volunteering for me is an opportunity and an asset for development, it’s a resource that can address the many issues we face in the Arab region and Globally. It’s a way to engage with the local community, to listen to them, and to harness the power that lies in the grassroots. For me there is a beauty in volunteerism as it is an expression of people’s willingness and capacity to freely help others and improve their society. 


I believe that we all need to give a bit of ourselves to the societies we are in, it helps with our feeling of belonging, there is something pure about giving a bit of yourself without thinking to much about what you are going to get in return. Not thinking about it doesn't mean that we don't get something back,  Volunteerism helps to make this a more mutual and reciprocal world. 


I know I am sounding preachy and I don't mean to, but I think everyone should look into themselves and see in what ways they can work to bring love and justice to and in their communities. 


Good Day and Good Luck